"Sri Lankan Tamils in Sri Lanka. In 1988 almost 93% of the Sinhalese speaking population in Sri Lanka were Buddhist. Buddhism in Sri Lanka Theravada Buddhism is the religion of 70.2% of the population of Sri Lanka. The island has been a center of Buddhist scholarship and learning since the introduction of Buddhism in the third century BCE producing eminent scholars such as Buddhaghosa and preserving the vast Pāli Canon. Throughout most of its history, Sri Lankan kings have played a major role in the maintenance and revival of the Buddhist institutions of the island. During the 19th century, a"
"ceasefire was signed in 2002, but mostly ignored and officially rejected by the Sri Lankan government in 2008. The Sri Lankan government declared victory over the LTTE in May 2009 with the death of rebel leader Velupillai Prabhakaran. Religion is a vibrant part of Sri Lankan culture. The predominant religions are Buddhism, Hindu, Muslim and Christianity. Buddhism was introduced sometime between 250-210 BC, and became the official religion of Sri Lanka in 1972. The 1978 constitution grants primacy to Buddhism, while also ensuring freedom of religion for all citizens. Throughout Sri Lanka's long history, Buddhism has remained an active part"
"Sangha having existed in a largely unbroken lineage since its introduction in the 2nd century BCE. During periods of decline, the Sri Lankan monastic lineage was revived through contact with Thailand and Burma. Buddhism is given special recognition in the Constitution which requires Sri Lankans to ""protect and foster the Buddha Sasana"". Hinduism is the second most prevalent religion in Sri Lanka and predates Buddhism. Today, Hinduism is dominant in Northern, Eastern and Central Sri Lanka. Hindus are mainly Tamils. Islam is the third most dominant religion in the country, having first been brought to the island by Arab traders"
"of the culture. Nearly 70% of the population is Buddhist. Due to the extensive conflict and war in the northern and eastern provinces, data regarding religious affiliation is variable. The national census states that 8% of the population identified as Muslim, 7% as Hindu, 6% as Christian, and the remaining 10% were unspecified. The majority of Sri Lankan Muslims practice Sunni Islam. Sizable minorities of both Sinhalese and Tamils identify as Christians, most of whom are Roman Catholic. Sri Lanka is governed within the framework of a presidential representative democratic republic. In this multi-party system the president is the head"
"over the course of many centuries, starting around the 7th century CE. Most Muslims are Sunni who follow the Shafi'i school. Most followers of Islam in Sri Lanka today are believed to be descendants of those Arab traders and the local women they married. Christianity reached the country through Western colonists in the early 16th century. Around 7.4% of the Sri Lankan population are Christians, of which 82% are Roman Catholics who trace their religious heritage directly to the Portuguese. The remaining Christians are evenly split between the Anglican Church of Ceylon and other Protestant denominations. There is also a"
"its main page. The currently known Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is ethnically, linguistically and religiously diverse. Ethnicities include: Sinhalese (74% of the population) most of who practice Buddhism and populate the South West; Ceylon Tamils (approx. 12%); Indian Tamils (approx. 5%), most of who practice Hindu but with sizable Christian minorities based in the ‘tea country’ of south-central Sri Lanka]and other smaller minorities including Muslims (about 7%), the majority of whom practice Sunni Islam; Burghers and aboriginal Veddahs. Whilst the constitution of 1978 assures religious freedom, it accedes predominance to Buddhism. Since the 1980s, the Liberation Tigers of"
"has slowly declined since the end of colonial rule from the height of 10% in 1891 to 7.61% at the latest census, the numbers were 302,000 in the former year and 1.552 million in the latter of a population of 20,650 million. By the 1980s, the population of Christians (mostly concentrated in the northwest of Sri Lanka and in the capital where they are 10% of the population). Of these Christians, about 85% are Roman Catholics and the rest are Anglicans,Methodists and other Protestants. Religion in Sri Lanka Sri Lanka's population practices a variety of religions. As of the 2011"
"Catholic Church in Sri Lanka The Catholic Church in Sri Lanka (Sinhala: ""Sri Lankavay Katholika Sabhava"") is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the pope in Rome. The country comes under the province of Colombo and is made up of 12 dioceses including one archdiocese. There are approximately 1.2 million Catholics in Sri Lanka representing around 6.1% of the total population (according to the 2012 census). In 1995, at a ceremony in Colombo, Pope John Paul II beatified Father Joseph Vaz, an early missionary to the country, who is known as the Apostle of Ceylon."
"Hinduism in Sri Lanka Hinduism has a long tradition and which is the oldest religion in Sri Lanka. More than 2000 years civilization have proved so far from Hindu temples in Sri Lanka. Hindus currently make up 12.60% of the Sri Lankan population, and are almost exclusively Tamils apart from small immigrant communities from India and Pakistan such as the Sindhis, Telugus and Malayalees. In the 1915 census they made up almost 25% of the population, which included the indentured labourers the British had brought. Due to emigration (over 1 million Sri Lankan Tamils have left the country since independence),"
"established in the 1980s to prevent the continual isolation of the Muslim community from the rest of Sri Lanka. Today, about 9.7% of Sri Lankans adhere to Islam; mostly from the Moor and Malay ethnic communities on the island. According to Christian traditions, Christianity introduced by Thomas the Apostle in Sri Lanka (as well as India) during the 1st century. Legend has it small Christian settlements were recorded to have been established on Sri Lanka's coastline. However, the population of Christians in Sri Lanka didn't dramatically increase until the arrival of Portuguese missionaries during the 15th century. In the 17th"
"are Roman Catholics, while those of the Northern and Eastern Provinces are mainly Hindu. Pentecostal and other churches, such as Jehovah's Witnesses, are active among the internally displaced and refugee populations. The 2012 Sri Lanka Census revealed a Buddhist population of 22,254 amongst Sri Lankan Tamils. Accounting to roughly 1% of all Sri Lankan Tamils in Sri Lanka. The Hindu elite, especially the Vellalar, follow the religious ideology of Shaiva Siddhanta (Shaiva school) while the masses practice folk Hinduism, upholding their faith in local village deities not found in formal Hindu scriptures. The place of worship depends on the object"
"Islam in Sri Lanka Islam is a minority religion in Sri Lanka. 9.66% of the Sri Lankan population practice Islam. 1,997,361 persons adhere to Islam as per the census of 2012. With the arrival of Arab traders in the 7th century A.D., Islam began to flourish in Sri Lanka. The first people to profess the Islamic faith were Arab merchants and their native wives, whom they married after having them converted to Islam. By the 8th century A.D., Arab traders had controlled much of the trade on the Indian Ocean, including that of Sri Lanka. Many of them settled down"
"Roman Catholic archbishop and 11 Roman Catholic bishops. The dioceses are: 290,967 persons in Sri Lanka (1.43%) are Protestants as per the 2012 census. The Ceylon Pentecostal Mission has about 16,500 church members and 70 churches (faith homes) in Sri Lanka. About 2000 people (1998) are affiliated with congregations belonging to the Baptist World Alliance. The Lanka Lutheran Church has about 1,200 members. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints claims 1,200 members in Sri Lanka. The main Protestant churches in Sri Lanka are Anglican, Methodist, Baptist and Salvation Army. The Church of Ceylon is an extra-provincial Anglican church,"
"are handled by the Muslim Religious and Cultural Affairs Department, which was established in the 1980s to prevent the continual isolation of the Muslim community from the rest of Sri Lanka. Muslims of Sri Lanka, mostly from the Moor and Malay ethnic communities on the island with smaller numbers of converts from other ethnicities, such as the Tamils. The Sri Lankan Moors are mostly native speakers of the Tamil language while a few of them speak Sinhala as primary language, and follow Islam as their religion. Sri Lankan Moors comprise 9.30% (2012 Census) of Sri Lanka’s population, and constitute the"
"a Catholic Mass on Sri Lankan soil. Over the next few centuries, Portuguese, Dutch, and Irish missionaries spread the religion in Sri Lanka, most notably on the western and northwestern coast, where in some places Catholics are half the population. Catholic Church in Sri Lanka The Catholic Church in Sri Lanka (Sinhala: ""Sri Lankavay Katholika Sabhava"") is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the pope in Rome. The country comes under the province of Colombo and is made up of 12 dioceses including one archdiocese. There are approximately 1.2 million Catholics in Sri Lanka representing"
"communities living in these areas during the times of LTTE strife. Many churches can be found along the southern coastline because of former Roman Catholic and Protestant colonial heritage. Buddhists reside in all parts of the island, but especially in the south, the upcountry, and the western seaboard. Buddhists are the largest religious group in Sri Lanka. While the Sinhalese people speak Sinhala as their mother tongue, the Tamil people speak Tamil. English is also widely spoken. Sinhala is spoken by about 17 million people in Sri Lanka, more than 14 million of whom are native speakers. It is one"
"whether the Sri Lankan air force or the LTTE terrorists were responsible for this bombing incident. Freedom of religion in Sri Lanka is however claimed to have been historically upheld through religious tolerance . The practice of Hinduism was allowed under Sinhala kings since the Anuradhapura era. Buddhist Sinhala kings gave protection to Muslims fleeing from Portuguese persecution and to Catholics fleeing from persecution by the Dutch after having been defeated by the Portuguese. Freedom of religion in Sri Lanka The constitution of Sri Lanka states under Chapter II, Article 9, ""The Republic of Sri Lanka shall give to Buddhism"
"culture. The majority of Sri Lankan Hindus follow the teaching of Shaiva Siddhanta. Sri Lanka is home to the five abodes of Shiva, which are known as Pancha Ishwarams. Sri Murugan is one of the most popular Hindu deities in Sri Lanka. He is not only venerated by the Hindu Tamils but also by Buddhist Sinhalese and aboriginal Veddas. A significant Hindu religious figure in Sri Lankan modern history is Satguru Siva Yogaswami of Jaffna. One of the mystics of the 20th century, Yogaswami was the official satguru and counseling sage of Lanka's several million Tamil Hindu population. The Ramakrishna"
"Christianity in Sri Lanka Christianity is a minority religion in Sri Lanka. Christianity was introduced to the island in first century, probably in AD 72. Traditionally, after Thomas the Apostle's visit in Kerala in AD 52, Christianity is said to have been introduced via India because of its close geographical and commercial ties. According to Christian traditions, the apostle Thomas preached the Gospel in Sri Lanka Records suggest that St. Thomas Christians and Nestorian Christians lived in Sri Lanka. Anuradhapura cross is one of the archaeological claims that suggest Christianity in Sri Lanka before Portuguese. Roman Catholicism was introduced by"
"Protestantism in Sri Lanka Anglican and other Protestant missionaries arrived at Sri Lanka during the early 19th century, when the British took control of Sri Lanka from the Dutch. About 160,518 persons (0.8% of the population) are Protestants. The oldest Protestant church in Sri Lanka is the Christian Reformed Church in Sri Lanka, formerly the Dutch Reformed Church in Sri Lanka, has over 30 congregations and more than 5,000 members. The Salvation Army is strong in Sri Lanka. The Lanka Lutheran Church has about 1,200 members. The annual growth of Protestants in Sri Lanka is about 3.9%. Violence for religious"
"today they are still a sizeable minority. Hinduism is dominant in the North and Eastern provinces, where there are predominantly Tamil people. Hinduism is also practised in the central regions (where there are significant numbers of people of Indian Tamil descent) as well as in the capital, Colombo. According to the government census of 2011, there are 2,554,606 Hindus in Sri Lanka constituting 12.6% of the country's population. During the Sri Lankan Civil War, many Tamils fled to other countries. There are Hindu temples abroad which were built by the Sri Lankan Tamil diaspora to maintain their religion, tradition and"
"data sources. The CIA World Factbook lists Sri Lanka's current population as 20,653,913 persons. Considering the island is only , it is a very densely populated nation. Over 85% of the population live in non-urban environments. The largest city is Colombo, with a population of 1,819,777. Sri Lanka is occupied by several ethnic groups. The Sinhalese are the predominant ethnic group (74%), followed by Sri Lankan Tamils (13%), Indian Tamils (5%) and Moors (Muslim) (7%). Sinhala is the national language and is the predominant language spoken by 74% of the population. Most Tamils and Moors speak Tamil, part of the"
"reasons against Christians occurs. 43 percent of the Protestants in the early 1980s were Sinhalese. Protestantism in Sri Lanka Anglican and other Protestant missionaries arrived at Sri Lanka during the early 19th century, when the British took control of Sri Lanka from the Dutch. About 160,518 persons (0.8% of the population) are Protestants. The oldest Protestant church in Sri Lanka is the Christian Reformed Church in Sri Lanka, formerly the Dutch Reformed Church in Sri Lanka, has over 30 congregations and more than 5,000 members. The Salvation Army is strong in Sri Lanka. The Lanka Lutheran Church has about 1,200"
"small population of Zoroastrian immigrants from India (Parsis) who settled in Ceylon during the period of British rule, but this community has steadily dwindled in recent years. Religion plays a prominent role in the life and culture of Sri Lankans. The Buddhist majority observe Poya Days each month according to the Lunar calendar, and Hindus and Muslims also observe their own holidays. In a 2008 Gallup poll, Sri Lanka was ranked the third most religious country in the world, with 99% of Sri Lankans saying religion was an important part of their daily life. Sri Lankans have a life expectancy"
"the Portuguese in 1505. There were conversions by Dutch persons in the 17th century, which resulted in a percentage of church members in excess of 10%. The Christian population of Sri Lanka includes members of both the Sinhalese and Tamil ethnic groups. 6.19% of the population (1,261,194 persons) is Roman Catholic, according to the 2012 census. Catholicism was first introduced by the Portuguese, who left a notable mark in that Portuguese surnames are still used by many Catholics. Dutch missionaries tried to spread Protestantism after the Portuguese were expelled, bur most Sri Lankan Christians are now Catholics. There is a"
"Lanka is a multi-religious country. Buddhists comprise 70 percent of the population, with the Theravada school being predominant. Most Buddhists are of the Sinhalese ethnic group. Buddhism was introduced to Sri Lanka in the 2nd century BCE by Venerable Mahinda. A sapling of the Bodhi Tree under which the Buddha attained enlightenment was brought to Sri Lanka during the same time. The Pāli Canon (""Thripitakaya""), having previously been preserved as an oral tradition, was first committed to writing in Sri Lanka around 30 BCE. Sri Lanka has the longest continuous history of Buddhism of any predominantly Buddhist nation, with the"
"the Methodist Church of Sri Lanka had a very difficult time during a period of anti-Christian violence. St. Andrew's Church in Colombo is a congregation of the Church of Scotland. For administrative purposes, it is part of the Church of Scotland's Presbytery of Europe. According to the 2002 yearbook of Jehovah's Witnesses, around 4,019 active members are in Sri Lanka. Christianity in Sri Lanka Christianity is a minority religion in Sri Lanka. Christianity was introduced to the island in first century, probably in AD 72. Traditionally, after Thomas the Apostle's visit in Kerala in AD 52, Christianity is said to"
"Table summarizes the population of Kurunegala according to different ethnicity: The common languages of Kurunegala, depending on social classes, social circles, and ethnic backgrounds are Sinhalese, Tamil and English. Buddhism is the main and the most widely practised religion in Kurunegala. The town is also home to a wide range of other religious faiths and sects including Islam, Christianity and Hinduism. Christian/Catholic churches, mosques and Hindu temples are also located within the city. The Church of Ceylon, which is the Anglican Church in Sri Lanka operates a diocese in Kurunegala covering the North-Central province and Kurunegala, Kandy, Matale and Kegalle,"
"Freedom of religion in Sri Lanka The constitution of Sri Lanka states under Chapter II, Article 9, ""The Republic of Sri Lanka shall give to Buddhism the foremost place and accordingly it shall be the duty of the State to protect and foster the Buddha Sasana, while assuring to all religions the rights granted by Articles 10 and 14(1)(e)."" Articles 10 and 14(1)(e) provide all citizens the freedom to adopt, practice and teach any religion of their choice. Concurrently in 1978, Buddhism was declared as the State religion by President J. R. Jayawardene. This preferential treatment to Buddhism is therefore"
"the 17th century. With these colonizers came the introduction of Roman Catholic missionaries who sought to convert Sinhalese and Tamil people to Catholicism. By March 1815, the island was formally united under British rule Throughout the 19th century, the British brought Tamil workers from Southern India to staff the growing number of rubber and tea plantations. The people of the island gained independence from the British in 1948 and formed the nation of Ceylon. The official name was changed to Sri Lanka in 1972, when Buddhism was named the primary religion of the country. Throughout the late 20th century and"
"Christian Reformed Church in Sri Lanka The Christian Reformed Church in Sri Lanka (formerly known as the Dutch Reformed Church in Sri Lanka) is the oldest Protestant church on the island. In a Galle on 6 October 1642 was the first Protestant ministration after Willem Jacobszoon Coster captured the fort in 1640. Protestantism was introduced in Sri Lanka in 1658 by Dutch missionaries after the Dutch defeated the Portuguese on the island. When the Dutch took over there were already three religions was present, Buddhism, Hinduism and Catholicism. All Roman Catholic churches, schools, and monasteries were transferred to the Dutch"
"trance due to possession by local gods and animal sacrifices to appease local gods or spirits. Religion is a compulsory subject in Sri Lankan schools and Hindu students can choose from either Hinduism or Saiva Siddhanta as a compulsory subject from Grade 1 to Grade 11. Sri Lankan Tamils mostly study Saiva Siddhanta while upcountry Tamils mostly study Hinduism. As a reaction as well as an effort to arrest the conversion efforts of missionaries, there arose many religious reformers that wanted to modify the existing Hindu practices to be more able to stand up to western Christian critique. A few"
"Shi'a Muslims came from northwestern India (Gujarat state) after 1880; in the 1980s they collectively numbered fewer than 2,000. These groups tended to retain their own places of worship and the languages of their ancestral homelands. Islam in Sri Lanka Islam is a minority religion in Sri Lanka. 9.66% of the Sri Lankan population practice Islam. 1,997,361 persons adhere to Islam as per the census of 2012. With the arrival of Arab traders in the 7th century A.D., Islam began to flourish in Sri Lanka. The first people to profess the Islamic faith were Arab merchants and their native wives,"